Proposal of joint european project CHAIN-E

programs’ analysis.

2. Financing of the work on ECTS introduction.

3. Financing of the work on elaboration of the didactic materials and teaching aids.

4. Financing of 3 seminars.

5. Financing of language courses for trainees.

Duration (in weeks): 101

Total Tempus funding required for this outcome (including related mobility flows) over project duration:

ECU .93'900

(this amount reflects the inputs from the Tempus budget only - for other contributions see the financial table V.8.)

OUTCOME TABLE

(Continued)

Outcome reference N°: 4 Description of the outcome: A network of branches of the Regional Centre for Students’ Exchanges (RCSE) at the Ural universities – participants of the consortium, as well as constant contacts of the Centre and its branches with the corresponding structures of the European universities participating in the project.

Deadline: August, 31, 2001 Institutions involved (reference N°): 2-6

Description of the activities:

4.1 Creation of RCSE branches at the universities of the Ural consortium and their technical provision.

4.2. Establishing of cooperation links between the heads of the RCSE branches at the Ural universities.

4.3 Appointment of ECTS-coordinators in Economics at each participating university.

4.4 Training of the ECTS-coordinators and staff of the RCSE and its branches at the European universities.

4.5 Organization of meetings, conferences, seminars on the exchange of experience with participation of the heads and the staff of the RCSE, ECTS-coordinators and students participating in the project.

4.6 Establishing of direct links between the ECTS-coordinators in economics of the Ural consortium universities and the European universities, participation in the work of the ECTS ALUMNI Association.

4.7 Dissemination of the experience – publishing activities (Newsletters, see Outcome 3 Activity 3.11).

Target group(s):

Staff of the RCSE and its branches, ECTS-coordinators.

Inputs allocated from the Tempus budget:

1. Financing of intensive courses for the RCSE staff and ECTS-coordinators at European universities.

2. Financing of the publishing activities (it is the same activity mentioned above, see Outcome 3).

3. Provision of the RCSE branches with equipment:

4 PCs; 4 Laser Jets; 4 Copying machines; 4 Binding machines.

4. Financing of software.

5. Financing of services for the equipment.

Inputs allocated from outside the Tempus budget:

1. Premises, furniture, municipal costs.

2. Staff costs (RCSE and its branches staff, ECTS-coordinators).

3. Computer network, communications.

4. Financing of conferences and seminars.

Duration (in weeks): 156

Total Tempus funding required for this outcome (including related mobility flows) over project duration:

ECU .38'000

(this amount reflects the inputs from the Tempus budget only - for other contributions see the financial table V.8.)

OUTCOME TABLE

(Continued)

Outcome reference N°: 5 Description of the outcome: 20 academic staff will deliver lectures at the universities-participants in the project.

Deadline: June, 31, 2001 Institutions involved (reference N°): 1-8

Description of the activities:

5.1 Elaboration of new study courses (reviews lectures on subjects that are read at the professors’ home institutions) and their methodological provision.

5.2 Organizational and informational support of the outgoing lecturers.

5.3 Dissemination of the experience: publishing activity (Newsletters, see Outcome 3, Activity 3.11).

Target group(s):

Academic staff, postgraduate students, students, administrative staff.

Inputs allocated from the Tempus budget:

1. Financing of the 15 academic staff members' East-West mobility (it is the same mobility mentioned above, see Outcome 3).

2. Financing of the 5 academic staff members' West-East mobility.

3. Publishing of didactical materials (teaching aids) for the lectures to be read abroad (20 sets).

Inputs allocated from outside the Tempus budget:

1. Financing of the work on elaboration of new copyrightable courses.

Duration (in weeks): 77

Total Tempus funding required for this outcome (including related mobility flows) over project duration:

ECU .22'800

(this amount reflects the inputs from the Tempus budget only - for other contributions see the financial table V.8.)

2.3. Impact and sustainability

The successful implementation of the project will influence various aspects of the system of higher education in Russia, connected with preparation of students to be highly qualified specialists:

On the national level it is the process of adaptation of the Russian system of higher education to the European dimensions; the possibility of mutual recognition of diplomas of future specialists in economics; creation of a model of a rapid and reliable information exchange system between the universities of Russia and European Union;

At a regional level - perfecting of the network of the Ural universities ensuring high-quality preparation of students in the sphere of economics; uniting of scientific - pedagogical potential of the Ural universities for solution of problems in the sphere of student exchanges; development of structures coordinating student exchanges at the regional level; creation of reliable channels of information exchange on problems of preparation of high-qualified economists;

At a university level - further development of university structures connected with student exchanges (Regional Center for Student Exchanges, Regional Office for International Cooperation); replenishment of the library funds with the economic literature, purchased by the students during their study courses abroad; creation of the atmosphere of interest in student exchanges at all structural subdivisions (faculties, departments) of the university;

At a level of faculties - development of the structure of the Economic Faculty by student exchanges, including those with foreign universities; improvement of professional skills of the faculty teaching staff, including reading of some lectures in a foreign language; increase of students' interest in qualitative studying and learning of foreign languages;

At a level of departments - perfecting of curricula for preparation of experts in the sphere of economics; teachers' mastering of foreign languages; rise of prestige of an economic specialty in the eyes of would-be students.

Upon termination of Tempus/Tacis financing the outcomes of the project can be maintained and developed by the structures established in the course of the project implementation (RCSE branches, ECTS-coordinators). The involvement in new projects, bilateral and multilateral agreements between the Russian and foreign universities is possible. It is obviously possible, that the mentioned structures, using the accumulated links, can offer the whole range of services to organizations and population. This will ensure additional sources of financing.

The Ural universities consortium has an intention to save and to develop the academic network established in the framework of the CHAIN-E project. For this purpose it is planned to offer and to realize the joint projects, financed from the respectable sources. All the Ural universities have an experience of grants getting from the national and non-governmental funds: “The Fund of Higher Education Development”, “National Fund for Staff Preparation” (The Government of the Russian Federation and the International Reconstruction and Development Bank), “G. Soros Fund (Opened Society Institute)” etc. During the academic network creation the universities will try to provide the financing from these sources of the respectable joint project in the field of Economics and Education. At the present time the USVPU and the USU have already got the positive decision of the “National Fund for Staff Preparation” about the loan rendering for the realization of the Innovation Education Fund project in the field of economical education of these universities.

IV.3. MANAGEMENT OF THE PROJECT

3.1. Management structure

Role and responsibilities of each consortium member

The structure of management of the project is indicated in the scheme below.

The University - Contractor is Ghent University (RUG). During the first year of MJEP fulfillment it acts as the University - Coordinator of the project, but it delegates some part of the responsibilities in Russia to the USVPU. Such control circuit has been already tested in 1994-98. In a course of realization of the Ural universities consortium work with the Ghent University within the framework of the multilateral agreements, and also the USVPU with Ghent, Rotterdam and Valladolid universities under the URAL project (Tempus/Tacis) T-JEP-10094-95-RF. The positive administrative experience accumulated for these years allows to recommend the used circuit of work.

During the second and